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"Latchkey". Three voices with one message.

P C Kelly, M R Weir, A W Atkinson

    Clinical Pediatrics
    |September 1, 1986
    PubMed
    Summary
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    Millions of children experience unsupervised time after school, known as latchkey time. Experts and parents agree on age guidelines: children should be at least 9 for brief periods alone, 12 for longer durations, and 14 to babysit.

    Area of Science:

    • Child Development
    • Pediatrics
    • Sociology

    Background:

    • Millions of school-aged children (6-13 years) are unsupervised after school, a practice termed "latchkey".
    • This situation raises concerns regarding child safety and social isolation.
    • Currently, there are no established age guidelines for "latchkey" arrangements or data on their prevalence.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate expert and public opinions on age guidelines for unsupervised child care.
    • To identify factors influencing these age guideline opinions.
    • To gather data on perceived appropriate ages for children to be left alone or to babysit.

    Main Methods:

    • A survey was conducted involving pediatricians, military police, and parents.
    • Participants provided opinions on the minimum age for children to be left unsupervised for brief (under 15 minutes) and extended (1 hour+) periods.

    Related Experiment Videos

  • Opinions were also solicited regarding the appropriate age for children to babysit younger siblings.

    • Main Results:

    • Pediatricians, military police, and parents expressed similar age recommendations.
    • The mean age for unsupervised periods under 15 minutes was approximately 9 years.
    • The mean age for unsupervised periods of 1 hour or longer was approximately 12 years, and for babysitting, it was approximately 14 years.

    Conclusions:

    • There is a consensus among professional, legal, and popular voices regarding age guidelines for unsupervised child care.
    • These findings provide a foundation for further research into actual "latchkey" practices and their appropriateness.
    • The study highlights the need for evidence-based guidelines to ensure child safety and well-being in unsupervised settings.